Cigarette Lighter

ABSTRACT

A cigarette lighter has a body portion with a fuel supply, an igniter for causing combustion of fuel from the fuel supply, a nozzle for causing the combusted fuel into a flame of a desired shape, an actuator for causing release of fuel from the fuel supply to the igniter then actuation of the igniter to cause the combustion, and a lid affixed to the body and movable between a closed state wherein the lid covers the nozzle and an open sated wherein the lid exposes the nozzle. Upon completion of use, the actuator also causes movement of the lid from the open state to the closed state.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention is related to cigarette lighting apparatuses and the operation thereof. Specifically, the present invention is related to cigarette lighters having lids for covering their nozzles during non-use and mechanisms for automatically engaging such lids.

BACKGROUND

Cigarette lighters typically have a body portion containing a fuel supply, an igniter for causing combustion of fuel from the fuel supply, a nozzle for causing the combusted fuel into a flame of a desired shape, and an actuator for causing actuation of the igniter to cause the combustion. Some cigarette lighters also have a lid affixed to said body and movable between a closed state wherein the lid covers the nozzle and an open sated wherein the lid exposes the nozzle.

Such lids typically serve the purposes of protecting the nozzle during non-use of the lighter, providing safety from the oft-hot nozzle after use, and denying oxygen to disable inadvertent combustion.

There exists a need for improvement in the actuation of lids in cigarette lighters, and such is an object of the present invention. There exists a need for added convenience in the actuation of lids in cigarette lighters, and such is an object of the present invention. There exists a need for simplification in the actuation of lids in cigarette lighters, and such is an object of the present invention. There exists a need for preventing users from inadvertently leaving open the lids on cigarette lighters after use and during non-use, and such is an object of the present invention.

Further needs and objects exist which are addressed by the present invention, as may become apparent by the included disclosure of an exemplary embodiment thereof.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The invention may be embodied as a cigarette lighter having a body portion with a fuel supply, an igniter for causing combustion of fuel from the fuel supply, a nozzle for causing the combusted fuel into a flame of a desired shape, an actuator for causing release of fuel from the fuel supply to the igniter then actuation of the igniter to cause the combustion, and a lid affixed to the body and movable between a closed state wherein the lid covers the nozzle and an open sated wherein the lid exposes the nozzle. Upon completion of use, the actuator also causes movement of the lid from the open state to the closed state.

While the term “cigarette” is used throughout this specification and its appended claims, it is anticipated that such a lighter could be used for any similar purpose, such as lighting cigars and smoking pipes. Therefore, the term “cigarettes” is meant to include any such smoking device whenever the term is used in this specification of the appended claims.

Further features and aspects of the invention are disclosed with more specificity in the Detailed Description and Drawings of an exemplary embodiment provided herein.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Many aspects of the invention can be better understood with reference to the following drawings. The components in the drawings are not necessarily to scale, emphasis instead being placed upon clearly illustrating the principles of the present invention. Moreover, in the drawings, like reference numerals designate corresponding parts throughout the several views.

FIG. 1 is a front elevation view of a lighter according to an exemplary embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 2 is a right side elevation view of the lighter of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a left side elevation view of the lighter of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a front view showing the lighter of FIG. 1 during opening;

FIG. 5 is a front elevation view of the lighter of FIG. 1 in its opened state;

FIG. 6 is a partial cross sectional view showing the lighter of FIG. 1 during ignition;

FIG. 7 is a partial cross sectional view showing the lighter of FIG. 1 during closing; and

FIG. 8 is a partial cross sectional view showing the lighter of FIG. 1 in its closed state.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Reference is now made to FIGS. 1 through 8, where there is shown a cigarette lighter 100 according to just one of the infinite number of possible embodiments of the present invention.

Lighter 100 includes body 102, lid 104, and actuator 106. Within body 102 is encased a fuel supply reservoir 110 having a valve 112. The fuel supply and its valve may be a removable from the body for replacement or refilling. Typically, the reservoir contains butane fuel compressed and pressurized into a liquid state, which expands through valve 112 into a gaseous state as the valve is opened.

Also within the body are a piezoelectric igniter 114 and a flame-shaping nozzle 116. The igniter may be a typical piezoelectric igniting mechanism electrically connected to nozzle 116 and arranged to create a spark adjacent to the nozzle to ignite fuel escaping from reservoir 110 when valve 112 is opened and when sufficient oxygen is present to feed combustion. Compression of the igniter causes a common internal triggering mechanism, well-known in the art, to create the spark. Nozzle 116 causes the burning fuel into a well-defined flame tip 120 during combustion for lighting cigarettes and such.

Lid 104 is hingedly connected to body 102 and is movable between a closed state wherein the lid covers the nozzle and denies oxygen for combustion, and an open state wherein the lid exposes the nozzle and allows combustion. The lid also serves to protect externally from the hot nozzle after combustion has been terminated. The lid is configured as a cap which covers and encases the internal components of the lighter when in its closed state and provides wind shielding to the flame tip 120 during combustion when in its open state.

Initially, lighter 100 is stored and transported with lid 104 and the actuator 106 in their closed states shown in FIGS. 1 to 3, such that lighter 100 has a compact, smooth, and rectilinear configuration.

To use lighter 100, lid 104 is first flipped open such as by the user's thumb 200, as seen in FIG. 4. Lid extension 122 pivots with the opening lid and pulls lid engagement link 124 upward, which engages lid lever 126 of actuator 106 to cause a clockwise pivoting of the actuator into its ready position of FIG. 5. In the actuator's ready position, actuator button 128 protrudes outside of body 102 and is readily accessible to the user's thumb.

Referring now to FIG. 6, actuator button 128 is next forced by the thumb in a downward direction. This downward movement of button 128 further pivots actuator 106 in the clockwise direction and causes valve lever 130 to simultaneously compress igniter 114 and to engage valve link 132 to open valve 112. Opening of the valve causes fuel to escape from reservoir 110 to nozzle 116 and compression of the igniter causes combustion of the fuel as flame tip 120.

So long as actuator button 128 is held down in this combustion state, fuel will continue to escape from open valve 112 and be ignited, and lid 104 will remain open.

Actuator 106 is biased from the combustion state of FIG. 6 to the ready state of FIG. 5 by a compression spring (not shown) within igniter 114, which acts on valve lever 130 to force the actuator to pivot in the counter-clockwise direction to its ready position upon release of actuator button 128. This lighter may be lit and extinguished by repeated downward pushing on and releasing of button 128.

Upon completion of use, the user's thumb 200 is simply repositioned to the underside of button 128, and the button is forced upwardly as shown in FIG. 7 so that actuator 106 pivots further in the counter-clockwise direction to its closed position, whereupon lid lever 126 forces lid engagement link 124 downward to pull lid 104 back into its closed position, and to cause the lighter back into its storage state of FIG. 8. While the escape of fuel from reservoir 112 has already been ceased, the lid substantially prevents oxygen from getting into the lighter and thereby prevents further inadvertent combustion. The lid also prevents accidental touching of the hot nozzle after combustion by either the user or other items. Since the actuator cannot be closed without simultaneously closing the lid, this provides a simple and convenient safety benefit which improves on the prior art by reducing the likelihood that users will attempt to store or pocket their lighters with the lid still opened.

Body 102 further includes window 140, seen in FIG. 3, which allows the user to view though the body to reservoir 112. The reservoir is made of a transparent material to allow the user to view through window 140 to see how much fuel remains within the reservoir without having to first remove the reservoir from the body.

In summary, the invention may be embodied as a cigarette lighter with a body portion having a fuel supply, an igniter for causing combustion of fuel from the fuel supply, and a nozzle for causing the combusted fuel into a flame of a desired shape. The lighter may have a lid affixed to the body and movable between a closed state wherein the lid covers the nozzle and an open state wherein the lid exposes the nozzle, and an actuator for sequentially causing release of fuel from the fuel supply to the igniter, then actuation of the igniter to cause the combustion, and then movement of the lid from the open state to the closed state. The fuel supply may be a reservoir containing a pressurized fuel and having a valve, and the actuator may engage the valve to cause the release of fuel to the igniter.

The actuator may disengage the valve to deny the release of fuel during the movement of the lid from the open state to the closed state. The igniter may be a piezoelectric mechanism for causing a spark at the nozzle, and the actuator may cause actuation of the igniter by compressing the piezoelectric mechanism.

The lid may be a cap enclosing the nozzle during the closed state, thereby denying oxygen to extinguish the combustion. The actuator may cause the engaging of the valve and the actuation of the igniter during forced motion of the actuator by a user in a first direction, and may cause the disengagement of the valve and the movement of the lid during forced motion of the actuator by the user in a second direction, opposite to the first direction.

The invention may be further embodied as a method of operating such a cigarette lighter. The method may include the sequential steps of forcing the actuator to cause release of fuel from the fuel supply to the igniter, then further forcing the actuator to cause actuation of the igniter to cause the combustion, and then further forcing the actuator to cause movement of the lid from the open state to the closed state. The method may also include the step of further forcing the actuator to disengage the valve to deny the release of fuel during the movement of the lid from the open state to the closed state, between the step of further forcing the actuator to cause actuation of the igniter and the step of further forcing the actuator to cause movement of the lid.

The invention may further be embodied as a cigarette lighter having a body portion having, a fuel supply having a reservoir containing a pressurized fuel, a valve, an igniter having a piezoelectric mechanism for causing a spark to cause combustion of fuel from the fuel supply, and a nozzle for causing the combusted fuel into a flame of a desired shape, a lid affixed to the body and movable between a closed state wherein the lid covers the nozzle and an open sated wherein the lid exposes the nozzle, the lid having a cap enclosing the nozzle during the closed state, and an actuator for sequentially, engaging the valve to release fuel from the fuel supply to the igniter, then actuating the igniter by compressing the piezoelectric mechanism to cause the combustion, and then disengaging the valve to deny the release of fuel, and movement of the lid from the open state to the closed state thereby denying oxygen to extinguish the combustion, wherein the actuator causes the engaging of the valve and the actuating of the igniter during forced motion of the actuator by a user in a first direction, and causes the disengagement of the valve and the movement of the lid during forced motion of the actuator by the user in a second direction, opposite to the first direction.

While the invention has been shown and described with reference to a specific exemplary embodiment, it should be understood by those skilled in the art that various changes in form and detail may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention, and that the invention should therefore only be limited according to the following claims, including all equivalent interpretation to which they are entitled. 

1. A cigarette lighter comprising: a body portion comprising; a fuel supply; an igniter for causing combustion of fuel from said fuel supply; and a nozzle for causing said combusted fuel into a flame of a desired shape; a lid affixed to said body and movable between a closed state wherein said lid covers said nozzle and an open sated wherein said lid exposes said nozzle; and an actuator for sequentially causing; release of fuel from said fuel supply to said igniter; then actuation of said igniter to cause said combustion; and then movement of said lid from said open state to said closed state.
 2. The cigarette lighter of claim 1 wherein said fuel supply comprises a reservoir containing a pressurized fuel and having a valve; and said actuator engages said valve to cause said release of fuel to said igniter.
 3. The cigarette lighter of claim 2 wherein said actuator disengages said valve to deny said release of fuel during said movement of said lid from said open state to said closed state.
 4. The cigarette lighter of claim 3 wherein said igniter comprises a piezoelectric mechanism for causing a spark at said nozzle, and said actuator causes actuation of said igniter by compressing said piezoelectric mechanism.
 5. The cigarette lighter of claim 4 wherein said lid comprises a cap enclosing said nozzle during said closed state, thereby denying oxygen to extinguish said combustion.
 6. The cigarette lighter of claim 5 wherein said actuator causes said engaging of said valve and said actuation of said igniter during forced motion of said actuator by a user in a first direction, and causes said disengagement of said valve and said movement of said lid during forced motion of said actuator by the user in a second direction, opposite to said first direction.
 7. The cigarette lighter of claim 1 wherein said igniter comprises a piezoelectric mechanism for causing a spark at said nozzle, and said actuator causes actuation of said igniter by compressing said piezoelectric mechanism.
 8. The cigarette lighter of claim 7 wherein said lid comprises a cap enclosing said nozzle during said closed state, thereby denying oxygen to extinguish said combustion.
 9. The cigarette lighter of claim 8 wherein said actuator causes said release of said fuel and said actuation of said igniter during forced motion of said actuator by a user in a first direction, and causes said movement of said lid during forced motion of said actuator by the user in a second direction, opposite to said first direction.
 10. The cigarette lighter of claim 1 wherein said lid comprises a cap enclosing said nozzle during said closed state, thereby denying oxygen to extinguish said combustion.
 11. A method of operating a cigarette lighter, the lighter comprising: a body portion comprising; a fuel supply; an igniter for causing combustion of fuel from said fuel supply; a nozzle for causing said combusted fuel into a flame of a desired shape; a lid affixed to said body and movable between a closed state wherein said lid covers said nozzle and an open sated wherein said lid exposes said nozzle; and an actuator engaging said fuel supply, said igniter, and said lid; and The method comprising the sequential steps of; forcing said actuator to cause release of fuel from said fuel supply to said igniter; then further forcing said actuator to cause actuation of said igniter to cause said combustion; and then further forcing said actuator to cause movement of said lid from said open state to said closed state.
 12. The method of claim 11 wherein said fuel supply comprises a reservoir containing a pressurized fuel and having a valve; and said actuator engages said valve such that said step of forcing said actuator to cause release of fuel comprises forcing said actuator to open said valve to cause said release of fuel to said igniter.
 13. The method of claim 12 further comprising the step of further forcing said actuator to disengage said valve to deny said release of fuel during said movement of said lid from said open state to said closed state, between the step of further forcing said actuator to cause actuation of said igniter and the step of further forcing said actuator to cause movement of said lid.
 14. The method of claim 13 wherein said igniter comprises a piezoelectric mechanism for causing a spark at said nozzle, and said step of further forcing said actuator to cause actuation of said igniter comprises compressing said piezoelectric mechanism.
 15. The method of claim 14 wherein said lid comprises a cap enclosing said nozzle during said closed state, and said step of further forcing said actuator to cause movement of said lid from said open state to said closed state denies oxygen to extinguish said combustion.
 16. The method of claim 15 wherein: said step of forcing said actuator to cause release of fuel from said fuel supply comprises moving said actuator in a first direction; said step of further forcing said actuator to cause actuation of said igniter comprises moving said actuator further in said first direction; said step of further forcing said actuator to disengage said valve comprises moving said actuator in a second direction, opposite to said first direction; and said step of further forcing said actuator to cause movement of said lid comprises moving said actuator further in said second direction.
 17. The method of claim 11 wherein said igniter comprises a piezoelectric mechanism for causing a spark at said nozzle, and said step of further forcing said actuator to cause actuation of said igniter comprises compressing said piezoelectric mechanism.
 18. The method of claim 17 wherein said lid comprises a cap enclosing said nozzle during said closed state, and said step of further forcing said actuator to cause movement of said lid from said open state to said closed state denies oxygen to extinguish said combustion.
 19. The method of claim 18 wherein: said step of forcing said actuator to cause release of fuel from said fuel supply comprises moving said actuator in a first direction; said step of further forcing said actuator to cause actuation of said igniter comprises moving said actuator further in said first direction; and said step of further forcing said actuator to cause movement of said lid comprises moving said actuator in a second direction, opposite to said first direction.
 20. A cigarette lighter comprising: a body portion comprising; a fuel supply comprising a reservoir containing a pressurized fuel; a valve; an igniter comprising a piezoelectric mechanism for causing a spark to cause combustion of fuel from said fuel supply; and a nozzle for causing said combusted fuel into a flame of a desired shape; a lid affixed to said body and movable between a closed state wherein said lid covers said nozzle and an open sated wherein said lid exposes said nozzle; said lid comprising a cap enclosing said nozzle during said closed state; and an actuator for sequentially; engaging said valve to release fuel from said fuel supply to said igniter; then actuating said igniter by compressing said piezoelectric mechanism to cause said combustion; and then disengaging said valve to deny said release of fuel; and movement of said lid from said open state to said closed state thereby denying oxygen to extinguish said combustion; wherein said actuator causes said engaging of said valve and said actuating of said igniter during forced motion of said actuator by a user in a first direction, and causes said disengagement of said valve and said movement of said lid during forced motion of said actuator by the user in a second direction, opposite to said first direction. 